Welcome To Poppy Cafe, Coulsdon's New Café

The idea to run a café was born when Dawn Douglas became a mother and therefore spent lots of time with other Mums, their babies and children, in local parks, some of which had cafés. As a frequent user of the lovely facilities in Coulsdon Memorial Ground, Dawn was inspired to contact Croydon council, as she felt the park would be much improved if it had a café. Dawn is a qualified chef and as she has worked in various kitchens around the world, she thought this would be a new challenge.

So Dawn contacted Croydon Council to ask if they would be interested in leasing the neglected building. It must have been fate as they were, at that very time, in the process of inviting tenders. It turned out that the Council were very keen to have a café in the park, as it is a 'Green Flag' park, and therefore the café enhances the experience for park users. So after a successful interview, Dawn and the Council collaborated to restore the building.

Dawn's aspiration is to provide a service that park users want. She hopes to achieve this with the help of her mother-in-law Terri. Since the opening day, a suggestions and comments book has been available in the café. It is very clear from responses so far that the local community are very happy that Poppy Cafe has arrived. They want it to stay and there are many ideas in the book as how to increase trade and to improve the experience. All the suggestions will be considered.